It was only supposed to be a temporary solution. Thirty-seven years after the Rochester train station was built, construction is now near completion for a new hub for Amtrak and CSX and an enhanced traveling experience for passengers.

Together with area business owners, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, led a tour of the new train station that’s slated to be completed in a few weeks. She helped secure a $15 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to help fund the expansion.

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Travelers will find a spacious and bright atrium area inside the main entrance of the new Rochester train station.(Photo: JAMIE GERMANO/@jgermano1/Staff Photographer)

The remodel was much needed to help grow businesses and to serve the entire community, Slaughter said.

“Our community is blessed to be close to so many major cities and this new state-of-the-art, ADA-compliant station will help move goods and people where they need to go and encourage new companies to open their doors right here in Monroe County,” Slaughter said.

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The design of the new Rochester train station, 320 Central Ave., resembles that of stations in the past.(Photo: JAMIE GERMANO/@jgermano1/Staff Photographer)

The project will be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once completed, it will feature 12,000 square feet of space, including a passenger concourse, platform and passenger display systems. The station will offer full access to the platform by elevators, escalators, stairs and ramps. Currently, passengers must climb up steps to board the train and passengers with disabilities need to use a lift.

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The tracks and platform at the new Rochester train station.(Photo: JAMIE GERMANO, @jgermano1/Staff Photographer)

Infrastructure is critical to the success of area businesses and trains are as important as other modes of transportation, Slaughter said. Many passengers prefer to take the train versus flying so they can relax and stretch out on the ride, she said.

Irondequoit resident Marlene Canavan agrees. She was waiting for her daughter, Darla, to arrive from New York City at the train station. Her daughter switches between flying and taking the train and sometimes prefers the train because it is time consuming to go through airport security. Canavan is eager to see the upgrades to the Rochester train station.

Accessibility to Rochester is important for visitors coming to the area, said Naomi Silver, president and CEO of Rochester Red Wings minor league baseball team.

Having a good infrastructure for different transportation is important for businesses in the area, said John Hart, CEO of Lumetrics in Henrietta. The infrastructure helps bring customers in, he said.

Rochester-based The Pike Company is leading a team on the design and construction of the new train station on Central Avenue that will also improve pedestrian and bicycle access as well as add parking spaces. The new station is designed to reduce regional delays by expanding track service in Rochester.

5: At the turn of the 20th Century, Rochester was served by five separate railroad companies, each with its own station.

$29.5 million: Cost of new station.

12,000: Square footage of new station.

100: Number of people who worked on the project.

$2 million: Cost of the New York Central Railroad station, also known as the Bragdon Station after its designer Claude Bragdon, which occupied the site from 1914 until it was sold to a private owner in 1959. The final section of that building was demolished for the construction of the former Amtrak station.

1978: Year previous Amtrak station was built.

137,000: Number of riders who have used Rochester railroad station in 2014.